 http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/022518.cfm
A few years ago, a television ad highlighted mountain climbing. At the summit, a young woman perched on the peak gazes over the spectacular view thousands of feet below. Each time I watched, my stomach became queasy, as one slip would certainly plunge her to death. Yet extreme climbers assert the view is worth the risk as they feel more alive and see with greater clarity.  First Sunday of Lent: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021818.cfm
Our oldest child moved to New York City for a three-month internship—a preparation for her career. She knew not one other soul in the city that never sleeps. I imagined her riding the subway all alone. I anxiously phoned her, “Liz, don’t forget you are loved. Don’t forget you belong to our family, no matter where you are. Don’t forget who you are—you are a child of God.”  Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/021118.cfm
Jesus wills each person to belong. The reversal is astonishing: the Old Testament priests ostracize those with leprosy with one declaration, “Unclean, unclean.” With scabs, pustule, or blotches, one was forced outside of society. Jesus, though, brings those with leprosy back into community through healing words, “Be made clean.” So great is Jesus’ desire for everyone to belong, so moved with pity, He risks everything—going against all religious norms—to reinstate each person into the human family. “Be made clean.” Jesus wills each person to belong. |
ReflectionsThe blog on this page presents reflections on the Sunday readings through the lens of a parent/grandparent, aiding leaders of the domestic church in their vital task as “first heralds” or “first preachers” of the Good News in the home. Archives
December 2021
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